Rospotrebnadzor has lifted Covid restrictions. This may affect the lifting of the ban on mass protests

Rospotrebnadzor has lifted all restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is stated on the website of the department.

Update: the current restrictions on holding public events were imposed by the heads of some constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Therefore, Rospotrebnadzor cannot cancel them, but the department's decision may push regional officials to lift the ban.

The restrictions came into force in March 2020, which significantly affected the ability to hold rallies and pickets. The siloviki regularly used the ban as a basis for detention at solitary rallies. After that, as a rule, protocols were drawn up against the picketers under the article on non-compliance with the rules of conduct during high alert mode ( Article 20.6.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses ).

Officials began to use the restriction on mass events as another reason that allowed them not to coordinate protest actions. At the same time, they agreed to hold mass pro-government or patriotic events. So, in early May 2022, the Moscow mayor's office refused to coordinate the anti-war rally on May 9, citing the pandemic, but at the same time allowed the Immortal Regiment to be held on that day.

The coronavirus ban was the basis for detention at a single picket until June 2022 ( example ), when football matches and concerts with thousands of spectators were already allowed and other indulgences were introduced. Then the lawyers of OVD-Info sent a complaint to the Constitutional Court in the interests of a Muscovite Ekaterina Bazhanova, against which a protocol was drawn up under the “covid” article because of the picket. Together with her, OVD-Info is challenging the ban on public events due to coronavirus restrictions.

In March, the ECtHR declared the ban on mass demonstrations illegal because it violates the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

On May 25, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced a “covid amnesty”, promising from June 1 to compensate for fines to Muscovites for non-compliance with coronavirus restrictions — protocols under this article were drawn up, among other things, because of single pickets.

The government of the capital promises to return the money for fines paid for all articles on violation of coronavirus restrictions, except for non-compliance with the isolation regime during illness. Officials have published instructions on how to return funds.

• Covid restrictions affected not only the possibility of holding peaceful actions. The courts began to hold sessions by video link and stopped letting listeners into open trials. OVD-Info explored the influence of the courts on the setting of new rules - and how these rules manifested themselves in the context of human rights and freedoms.
• In addition, the Federal Penitentiary Service introduced a ban on dating, and Article 207.1 appeared in the Criminal Code, which toughens punishment for fake news.